Matt mabkkula



M. MARKKULA.

STAKE FOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1|. 191a Patented Dec. 9, 1919.

/6 L/@ 1 fayf Era vwe'n for JKMTZZMQ- To all whom it may concern:

' tioned character which is adjustable for LMATT MARKKULA, or roar BRAGG, CALIFORJSIA.

' STAKE FOR can-s. I,

Be it known that I, MATT MARKKULA, a

citizen of the United States, residing. at

Fort Bragg, in the county of Mendocino and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stakes for Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to stakes for flat cars and has particular reference to such devices adapted to retain logs, spars, or the like in place upon the car.

An important object of the invention is to provide means whereby the stake or stakes upon one side of the car, may be released by the operator, standing near or upon the opposite sideof the car, whereby the operator is not subjected to the danger of the logs or the like rolling-from the car.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the above menthe reception of loads of different sizes, and which is of simplified construction and easy to operate.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description; 7

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a plan view of apparatus embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the apparatus, with the latch plate in the lowered position, and,

V Arranged between the bolsters 6 are vertically swinging stakes 8. Each stake is Q ApplicationfiledNovember'11,1918. seri naeerese.

vposite side of the'c-ar.

"provided at its lower end with an opening for the reception of a pivot element or pin 9, adapted for insertion'within a selected palr of spaced openings 10. It is-thus ap-- Specification of Letters Patent. 9, 1 919,

parent that the stake 8 is pivotally con-* nected with and between the bolsters 6 and is adapted to be longitudinally adjusted with relation to the bolsters, for receiving therebetween loads of different size.

The stake 8 near or upon one side of the car has connection near its upper end, as shown at 11, with a flexible element or chain 12, which extends to or upon the op- Each chain 12 extends through an opening 13, in a baseplate 14, vertically arranged, and secured to the sill 5, adjacent the ends of the bolsters 6. The chains 12' cross each other and extend in opposite directions, as clearly shown in Fig; 2. Pivoted'to the base-plate 14. as

shown at 15, is a latch 16, having an openlpassage of the horizontal links there through. It is thus seen that when the latch 16 is swung downwardly, as shown in Fig. 3, its notch 7 will receive a vertical link of the chain 12, thereby positively locking the chain against longitudinal movement. The free end of the latch 16 is bent outwardly to provide an extension 18, which may be struck by a hammer or the like to move the latch 16 to the open or closed position.

With the stakes 8 in the raised position, as indicated in Fig. 2, it is obvious that they will retain the. load upon the car. To unload the car, the operator stands upon one side of the car opposite the sideupon which the logs or the like are'to be discharged from the car. The operatorstrikes the extension 18 with a hammer or the like, forcing the latch 16 upwardly out of engagement with the chain 12. The stake 8'up0n the unloading side of the car is then free to drop to a more or less horizontal position,

between the bolsters 6,*and the logs or the is to be taken as a preferred example of the .same, and that various changes in the shape, size,-and arrangement of parts may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit of th invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: 7

In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a flat car, of a pair of bolsters arranged upon and secured to the fiat car and extending transversely thereof in spaced relation to provide a recess therebetween, said bolsters being provided near each end with a plurality of spacedpairs ofopenings, vertically swing- .ing stakes arranged within the recess between the bolsters near their ends, pivot ele ments connected with the lower ends of the stakes and adapted to be inserted within selected pairs of transverse openings in the bolsters so that the stakes may be adjusted toward and away from each other longitudinally of the bolsters, chains secured to the stakes near their upper ends and ex tending to theopposite sides of the car said chains consisting of horizontal and vertical links, base-plates secured to the sides of the car and having suitably shaped openings for receiving the chains so that the vertical and horizontal links may pass freely therethrough, and latches pivoted to the baseplates upon one side of the chains and having transverse openings formed therein to receive the vertical links of the chains.

In testlmonywhereof I afiiX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

V MATT MARKKULA. Witnesses J. A. Pnr'rns, v LENORA E. CLARK. 

